Crows Exhibit Human-Like Counting Abilities Through Vocalizations

Photo byPhoto by Tyler Quiring on Unsplash

Crows have demonstrated a surprising ability to "count" aloud, responding with a specific number of caws to visual and auditory cues. This capability, distinct from merely understanding numbers, involves producing a deliberate sequence of vocalizations, similar to how humans use speech to communicate quantities. While other animals like honeybees can grasp numerical concepts, this type of vocal numeric literacy has not been observed in non-human species until now.

Researchers from the University of Tübingen trained three carrion crows to produce between one and four caws based on arbitrary symbols or audio cues. After the correct vocalizations, the crows pecked a target to indicate completion. The study revealed that the crows consistently produced the correct number of caws, with occasional minor errors, indicating an advanced understanding and control over their vocalizations.

The findings suggest that crows use a non-symbolic approximate number system, similar to the system used by human toddlers, before they fully grasp symbolic counting. This system allows for an approximate number estimation planned before vocalization. Notably, the characteristics of each caw in a sequence varied, suggesting a structured approach to counting.

This ability in crows mirrors early human enumeration skills and may represent an evolutionary precursor to more complex numerical understanding. The study's results allow crows and perhaps other birds to communicate similar vocalizations in the wild for communication, such as signalling the presence of predators. This discovery highlights a previously unknown aspect of avian intelligence and communication.